The ¡Salud! Mission

¡Salud!’s mission is simple and straightforward. We work to provide access to healthcare services for Oregon‘s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.

¡Salud! is a unique collaboration between Oregon winemakers and healthcare professionals to provide access to healthcare services for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.

¡Salud! was created by a group of Oregon winery owners and Tuality Healthcare physicians to address the hurdles faced by seasonal workers who cannot meet their basic health needs with only a few months’ income to stretch over a full year. The vast majority of field workers move from one crop to another. Their temporary status with each employer makes them ineligible for health coverage. Without insurance, these men and women and their families often do not seek professional healthcare until their problems become acute. Their knowledge of basic health education is limited and they are overwhelmed by the maze of complex and confusing resources available in the medical system. The mission of ¡Salud! is to bridge this gap.

The relationship between vintners and physicians, united in their mission to benefit this essential workforce, is unique to Oregon. No other state in the country has such an effective and far-reaching program to support the seasonal worker population. Since 1991, the program has been supported by ¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction and other generous contributions. Held each November, the auction focuses on sought-after Pinot Noirs created by Oregon’s top wineries exclusively for the cause. In other ways, winery staff also assist ¡Salud! medical professionals in accessing and educating the workers and their families. This progressive approach by the Oregon wine industry enables ¡Salud! to reach workers onsite – often with mobile screening clinics held in the vineyards – as well as to identify those workers who are truly seasonal.